What do people do?

Many Jewish communities in the UK observe Tu B’Shevat by eating fruit or planting trees. The Torah praises seven “fruits”, in particular grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. Many Jewish people eat a new fruit, which can be any seasonal fruit.

When it comes to planting trees, some people plant them in memory of a loved one or friend. It is also common for children to plant a new tree, traditionally a cedar for a boy or a cypress for a girl. Some government departments, businesses and educational institutions in the UK mark Tu B’Shevat in their calendars.

Public life

Tu B’Shevat is not a public holiday in the UK. However, some Jewish organizations may be closed or offer a limited service to allow for festivities to occur on this day.

Background

Tu B’Shevat is first referred to in the late Second Temple period (515 BCE to 20 CE) when it was the cut-off date for levying the tithe on the produce of fruit trees. When Jewish colonists returned to Palestine during the 1930s, they reclaimed the barren land by planting trees where they could. It became customary to plant a tree for every newborn child – a cedar for a boy and a cypress or pine for a girl.